Manual of beaver management within the ... - DANUBEPARKS

Manual of beaver management within the Danube river basin* Population within the Danube River basin.After the eradication of beavers, several attempts on their return to the nature wererecorded in different parts of Europe, motivated by economic benefits. For example, inBohemia, during the second half of XIX. century, beavers were initially reared on farms,then discharged into the fish-pond area Třeboň. Subsequent problems with theprotection of ponds against beaver activities and absence of species protection has ledto their re-eradication.A major change of attitude towards beaver occurs after pushing out the last fewpopulation residues beyond the human reach; Norway in 1824 (from 1814 to 1905Norway formed part of union with Sweden), Germany in 1910.Following the succesful restitution of beaver in North America, Russia, the Baltic Statesand Scandinavia, first restitution into the Danube basin in 1966 was motivated mainlyby environmental benefits. Beaver was released into the main stream of Danube andits tributaries Inn and Isar. Released individuals originated from Russia and Poland(WEINZIERL 1973), France and Scandinavia (SCHWAB 2012, personal communication).Because Germany was divided by the iron curtain at that time, relict population of C.fiber albicus 2 from Elbe river was not accessible to become a source of geneticmaterial (other reason was low population size).120 individuals were released until 1982. Newly established population showed veryviable. In 2011, estimated size of population was 14 000 individuals and it was alsoused as a source for the renewal of beaver population in other countries on the lowerstretches of the Danube. In 70th years, beaver naturally extended further into the riversystem of Austria (Salzach and Inn), Czech republic and Baden-Württemberg.Beaver restitution continued in 1976, when in Austria, easterly from Vienna a total of 42individuals were released until 1988, including 15 specimen of C. canadensis (KOLLAR1992).Released beavers expanded naturally by the river network. In the same year (1976),first beaver was recorded in Slovak territory, within the Morava river basin (tributaryMalina (III. order tributary), pouring into the Morava river), 60 km from the release sitein Eckertsau. In the eighties, they reached the Danube delta at Szigetköz, and since1981 they expand northerly to the Czech republic territory (ŠAFÁŘ 2002). Between 1991and 1996, in Litovelské Pomoraví (middle Moravia), 22 beavers were released,originating from Poland and Lithuania (KOSTKAN 1998).In the early nineties, beavers originating from the East German population of C.f.albicus, migrated from Hessia into northern Bavaria.Tab. No.3.: Overview of beavers introductions in Hungary (WWF Hungary)Locality Date of release Individuals releasedGemenc és Karapancsa 1996-1998, 2004 53Hanság 2000, 2002 24Felsô-Tisza 2001, 2002 10Tiszaladány-Tiszadob 2003 20Kesznyéteni TK 2002 15Közép-Tiszai TK 2004, 2005 64Mátra, Domoszló 2005 3Mártélyi TK 2006 82Around 200 specimens of C. f. albicus persisted 200 persisted in1950 (HEIDEKE & HORIG 1986).5